Review

In news that should surprise no one following Sony's quiet announcement that Uncharted 2: Among Thieveshad passed the million sales checkpoint, the October 2009 sales numbers have been released by the NPD Group and Nathan Drake's widely loved return was the top seller for October 2009, right alongside Wii Fit Plus. Word of mouth proved a good barometer for the financial success of Borderlands, as well, with Gearbox Software's shooter-meets-RPG riding just behind Uncharted 2. The question on everyone's mind, though: where's Brutal Legend?

The top ten software sales for the month:

PS3 Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Sony, 537,000

Wii Wii Fit Plus, Nintendo, 441,000

360 Borderlands, Take-Two Interactive, 418,000

Wii Wii Sports Resort, Nintendo, 314,000

360 NBA 2K10, Take-Two Interactive, 311,000

360 Halo 3: ODST, Microsoft, 271,000

PS3 NBA 2K10, Take-Two Interactive, 213,000

360 Forza Motorsport 3, Microsoft, 175,000

DS Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, Square Enix, 169,000

360 FIFA 10, Electronic Arts, 156,000

No word yet on where Brutal Legend actually landed on the charts -- it could be at the 11 or 12 position, just barely outside of the top 10 -- but the news is sure to be a disappointment for gamers hoping Double Fine's partnership with Electronic Arts and the metal gods would prove to be designer Tim Schafer's breakout hit. Sadly, it looks like the mixed response from gamers, the stiff competition that was the critically lauded Uncharted 2 and the surprising success of Borderlands pushed Brutal Legend out of people's minds in October. It's possible Brutal Legend could find an audience as the holiday season approaches, but it'll need some help from Jack Black.

"The music/dance genre saw big declines this month compared to last year," said NPD Group analyst Anita Frazier in a prepared statement. "The genre generated $53 million in sales as compared to $137 million last year. Both Rock Band: Beatles, and Guitar Hero 5 have the potential to be good gifting items for the holidays, so we should expect to see an uptick in sales over the next two months."